Times Have Changed
by Watcher of the Hearts
Summary: My first try at a Dramione! It's a few years after the defeat of You-Know-Who. What adventures will our friends have this time around? *title may change*


**So I was just going through my flashdrive, and found this! I wrote it during the summer and never posted it. I'm honestly shocked I came up with it. I will always be a fan of Ron and Hermione, but there's also a certain allure to Dramione.. so here's a try for it!**

In the years that followed after the end of the defeat of You-Know-Who; Harry, Ron and Hermione had landed themselves jobs within the Ministry of Magic and had helped Kingsley Shacklebolt to reform the Ministry and the Wizarding World.

Hermione herself had moved up through careers, starting in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, working on elf rights, before being promoted, working hard to ensure the eradication of oppressive pro-pureblood laws. She had somehow also been roped into acting as a sort of lawyer for anyone who would need one in the Wizengamot. It was busy work, but after all she had experienced she found she rather liked being in an office. Harry and Ron had become Aurors, Harry becoming the Head of that department with Ron as his deputy. And in their 5 years of living in the "adult world" they had all grown and made great contributions to the Wizarding World.

It had certainly not gone unnoticed by anyone that Hermione had matured into a beautiful woman. Long gone were the days of her school-days bushy hair and shyness. While it was true, and the war had definitely matured the trio and nearly all of their friends, being able to excel in their own jobs had been a great triumph as well.

Unfortunately, some good things must come to an end, and in this case that meant the relationship between Ron and Hermione. They had broken off on well-enough terms; it was work that had really brought them apart. Hermione was still as hard a worker as she had been a student, and often spent many hours at her office, which left little time to spend with Ron. Ron had also found himself busy with Harry rounding up those who still supported the late Dark Lord, and helping to clean up the Ministry.

They had simply grown apart. They were pleasant towards one another when they met at the Ministry, or the few times the trio had lunch or dinner together. Harry would swear he could sometimes still feel that old familiar tension between his two best friends, but also felt it perhaps for the best that they were no longer together. Their lives were in different places, and Hermione was set in her ways, while Ron desired to still adventure around the world. Sometimes though, though Harry would never say it, he also thought it was for the best to avoid the broken hearts and arguments and at least remain friends.

* * *

><p>She made her way down the halls, a large tower of books and parchment stacked high above her head. She only had to make it into the golden lifts and she was home free. That was, until she bumped into a rather solid wall. Grunting she stumbled back, the wall-or rather the person who owned the chest she had walked into, caught the few of the top books that had fallen.<p>

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." She apologized.

"That's alright…no harm done it seems." The voice replied. She looked over her pile and almost dropped her books, a gasp escaping her lips. Before her stood a tall and exceedingly handsome blonde man.

"M-Malfoy?" she fought to hide her stutter as she gazed at her long-ago enemy. All the school-boy features had grown up, his chest and shoulders had broadened, his face had become more chiseled. He was, in a word, gorgeous. Inside she fought her own silent battle; this was the same person with whom they had fought so many years ago, the same person that had called her a mudblood; and the same that hadn't sold out Harry Potter.

"The one and only." He wore his trademark smirk. Of course, while he would never let it show, he himself couldn't help but be shocked at Hermione's own change; and that it was her that he had bumped into. He stacked the books back on top of her pile and steadying them.

"Watch where you're going next time, alright?" he said good naturedly as he walked past her, leaving Hermione to stand there and stare after him. Gone was that tone he would have normally used in school, and was he actually smiling? Shaking her head she turned, making her way into the lift, watching the blonde head disappear further down the hall before the lift shuttered to life.

* * *

><p>It would have been just as easy to apparate to her house, but it was the perfect night for a walk and after being locked away in that stuffy office Hermione especially needed some fresh air. Up ahead she saw a figure stumbling down the sidewalk and buried her hands deeper into the pockets of her coat, her hand gripping her wand tighter. She had only just passed by the local pub, breathing in a deep breath of fresh air, when for the second time that day she was stopped by walking into somebody.<p>

"Hey there pretty lady, where are you headed?" the stale smell of alcohol floated down into her nose, making her gag.

"Home. Now excuse me." She moved to step around him when another male stepped from the shadows. It was clear they had been kicked from the pub and were now looking for another form of entertainment.

"Why don't you stick around for a while? We can have plenty of fun."

"No, I don't think so." She kept her voice steady and side-stepped around them again.

The first man made a grab for her and she sent a well aimed jinx at him, knocking his legs out from under him. She made to run for it and was once more bumped back from her attacker's partner. The one she had knocked back slowly got to his feet, her jinx having worn off. The glare in his eyes scared her into submission and he raised a hand, backhanding her across the face. The force sent her wand flying from her hand and made her stumble.

"I don't think you're going anywhere." The second one said gruffly as he grabbed her arms, pulling her roughly back into his chest.

"Let me go!"

"Whatsa matter? Don't you want to have a little fun?" he shook her roughly.

"I said let me go!"

Again she was shoved, becoming all too certain by the moment of her fate to come.

"I believe the lady asked to be let go." said a calm yet strong voice.

The men stopped, turning towards the voice that had called out. A cloaked figure walked up, wand raised, moving his hood back to reveal a pale face.

"Malfoy?" Hermione's voice peeped out. The man who had a grab on her shook her again in an attempt to shut her up.

"I said, let her go."

"What does it matter to you?"

"When a lady requests to be released, you should respect that request. Or, shall I have to report to the Ministry your attack on one of the smartest members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" Hermione couldn't help but gasp. How on earth had Draco Malfoy, of all people, known where she worked? It was possible of course he had read a recent Daily Prophet, but for him to have paid close enough attention to remember it well enough to bring it into an open conversation? Draco kept his aim as he stared at Hermione's attacker. The man's grip on her only lessened slightly and she made an attempt to move as Draco's eyes narrowed at him. Slowly he let her go as his partner stepped back, watching the wand warily. As soon as Hermione was out of their grip they backed away before turning tail and disappearing down an alleyway. After making sure they were sure not going to come back Malfoy turned to Hermione, who had now picked up her wand and was holding her sleeve up to her bleeding lip.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, placing a hand on her arm.

"F-fine." She stared at him, completely lost as to a reason that he would have wanted to save her.

"Here, you're bleeding." He handed her over a silk black handkerchief and she took it with a shaking hand.

"Thanks…why are you helping me?" she regretted the words as soon as they had left her mouth. She sounded ungrateful and rude. To her relief Malfoy let out a cough of a chuckle, smirking at her.

"I am not about to let a lady be taken like that."

"And since when am I a lady? Thought I was just a mu-"

"Can't you just say thank you like a normal person?" he cut her off.

"Sorry…Thank you." She opened her mouth to pose a question but staggered; her knees weak under her. Malfoy stepped forward, catching her with a strong arm.

"Come on, you're in shock, I'll make sure you get home alright."

* * *

><p>With a bit of simple direction Hermione and Draco were able to apparate just in front of her home. It was a small brick and stone-faced house, with a cobblestone walkway to the front door, a short wrought iron fence, and a large tree in the front yard. He steadied Hermione, leaving her just at her stoop. It was then she finally found her voice once more.<p>

"I still don't understand. Why are you helping me?" she looked to him, her eyes searching his face. Malfoy shrugged, giving her a confident smile.

"Times have changed Granger." With a salute of a wave he turned, walking down the short cobblestoned path to the sidewalk before turning on the spot, the quiet _pop _of his apparation echoing through the night air, leaving Hermione to stare at where he had stood, completely gobsmacked as to what had happened that day.

**Love it? Hate it? Let me know. I hadn't always been a Dramione fan but I've fallen into it recently…I'm not sure if I will continue this one. I would like to, and from the notes page I had typed up for this clearly I had ideas when I first wrote it… I also found a Dramione oneshot I wrote over the summer so I might also post that. Let me know what you all think of this one!**


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